


Day 2: Foundling

by ReluctantMandalore



Series: Mandoctober 2020 [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Cuddles, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, No Romance, brief death mention, no romantic pairing - Freeform, of din's parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27911854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantMandalore/pseuds/ReluctantMandalore
Summary: After putting the child to bed, the Mandalorian looks over his foundling and thinks about what it means for him to have the child in his care.----I wrote this for the  Mandoctober Day 2 prompt Foundling. Mandoctober prompts were made by @leo-moon on tumblr!
Series: Mandoctober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043781
Kudos: 44





	Day 2: Foundling

The sound of tiny snores filled up the small space, the sight of the child finally dozing bringing a small smile to the Mandalorian’s face. Humming softly, he had tucked the blanket in a little tighter around the child, wanting the little one to feel snug and safe in the cot he had set out for him. He tenderly watched over the child, seeing him snuggle deeper in the sheets, making his heart swell larger with the love and adoration he felt in the moment.

By creed, the child was a foundling in Din Djarin’s care, and this would remain as such until he was able to reunite the little one with it’s people. As the child’s official guardian it would be his duty to protect him and raise him. The child was his foundling, and he was the child’s protector. This was how their life was living by the creed; this was the way.

In truth, Din had never expected to be in charge of a foundling. Although he adored and thought fondly of the other foundlings in the covert, his work didn’t include children hanging around him. He was a bounty hunter for the Tribe and his job was to bring in money. It wasn’t to look after the little foundlings running about. So, the child coming under his care had been a surprising, but pleasant, event for him.

Anytime he looked at the child now, he was reminded of his own time as a foundling. He remembered all the pain he felt knowing he’d never see his parents again. He remembered the happiness he felt when he first dawned the helmet and swore the creed. He still possessed all the vivid memories of playing and learning with other foundlings, every single one etched into his mind, filled with never ending joy. There was no doubt that his time as a foundling was a defining moment in his life, something precious which he held closely to his heart.

Din was certain if he hadn’t been taken in by the Mandalorians, he never would have been able to move on with his life after the droids had attacked his home. He wasn’t sure what would have happened to him, or where he would have gone. If he was being honest, without them he thought he would have certainly been dead. A thought that haunted him, and was what made him dedicate his life to the way of Mandalore.

Before meeting the child, Din didn’t care about what happened in regards to his own life. He didn’t have much to live for other than the Tribe, but even then they would just replace him with another. He lived for the covert, everything he did was for them. He wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Mandalorians after all. So, if he died for their well being, he died. It wasn’t like he had anyone waiting for him back at the covert, and it was how many of them lived anyway.

The child had changed this thought drastically though, because now Din did have something—someone—to live for. He had the child; his foundling.

As if on the queue, the child had shifted and rolled over to tiredly peer up at his father. Quiet babbles had left him, his tiny hand moving to rest against Din’s in an attempt to comfort him from his thoughts, while still on the brink of sleep himself. He wasn’t sure how the child could always tell when he was starting to feel this way. Even when he didn’t speak it out loud, the child just knew he was upset to some degree and sought to comfort the man.

Looking down at the sleepy creature, Din couldn’t help but think about what could have been or what the future holds. He wanted to watch over him, watch him grow into his own person. He wanted to be there for all the laughs and smiles, through the tears and frowns. He didn’t want to miss anything. He desperately wanted, and needed, to be there for the child. He wanted what was best for the child’s growth and well being. Nothing to him was more important to Din than that.

He wasn’t sure what kind of things the child had experienced in his first 50 years of life. He didn’t know whether his memories were happy or painful. The only thing Din knew was that as long as the child was with him, he would ensure that as many experiences as possible were filled with laughter and smiles. He would do whatever he could to help make the child grow up to be happy and healthy. Din would do anything he could for the little child in his care.

A small tug on his fingers had grabbed his attention once more, and he was met again with the curious gaze of the child. The little one had moved over on the cot now, a hand-stitched frog shoved to the side in an attempt to make some room on the makeshift bed. A smile had crossed Din’s lips at the sight of it, and he soon found himself lying on the cot next to the child, who babbled happily in gibberish as he did.

The space where the child’s cot was located was cramped, but Din had somehow managed to squeeze in with the child, and his stitched frog. He had moved a protective arm over the child, who had snuggled into his chest and was already well on his way to sleep again.

Settling in with the child had already caused Din’s own eyes to droop, feeling tired and sore from the long day they had both had. It didn’t take long for him to join the little one to sleep, snoring softly into the small space, cuddled with the little child and his frog. 

The child was a foundling, and by creed he was in the Mandalorian’s care until he could be reunited with his people. As long as Din lived, it would be his duty to ensure that no harm ever came to the little one again, and he took up that task happily. No matter the cost or the sacrifice, Din Djarin would protect his foundling until the end of time itself.

This was the way.


End file.
